Can openers



Dec. 19, 1967 H. H. VOLLRATH 3,358,366

CAN OPENERS Filed May 6, 1966 lOb lOu

FIG- 3 H. H. VOLLRATH wrdlfiw w ATTORNEY) United States Patent 3,358,366 CAN OPENERS Herbert H. Vollrath, 100 Calahria Ave., Coral Gables, Fla. 33134 Filed May 6, 1966, Ser. No. 548,088 2 Claims. (Cl. 3022) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The can opener of this invention comprises a handle having an inturned head at its can engaging end. The difference between this can opener and known devices resides in providing improved means, carried by the head, for positively gripping the rim and head of the can to hold the head against movement with respect to the can during the downward and cutting stroke of a blade carried by the handle and for releasing said gripping means upon upward movement of the handle whereby to permit the operator to thrust the head bodily along the can rim; thus carrying the blade to a position to make another cut. The improved gripping means includes a weighted gravity actuated catch that is pivoted for limited movement upon the head and carries a bead biting point. This point acts in conjunction with an opposed point located at the outer lower corner of the head to complementally grip the rim and head to hold the head against movement as stated.

The aforesaid elements are more particularly described and identified by reference numerals in the detailed specification which follows.

Specification In the drawing constituting a part of the disclosure of the invention and in which like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of the can opener with its handle and shank broken away and with the cutting blade in position to initiate a cutting action upon downward thrust upon the handle.

FIG. 2 is a top or plan view of the can opener.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, showing a can in section and with the blade at the completion of its cutting stroke under the downward movement of the handle.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical sectional view through a can rim and bead, show-ing the severed portion of the lid of the can pressed smoothly against the inner face of the can, and,

FIG. 5 is a view like FIG. 4 showing the lid of the can partially severed.

In the drawings, 5 designates a handle, 6 a shank, 7 a cutting and rim smoothing blade of concave curvature and 8 a head which is bent inwardly from the shank to project toward the center of the lids of the cans, to be cut.

A catch 9, is pivotally mounted by a pivot 10, upon the outer face of the head, for free rocking movement, such movement being limited by a notch 10a, in the upper edge of the catch and a stop lug 10b, which projects into said notch from the outer face of the head. Said catch has an outward extension which carries at its outer end a weight 95, the function of which is to cause the outer end of the catch to drop and release its grip on the bead 11, when the handle and shank are lifted after the completion of one downward can-top-cutting stroke of the handle, preparatory to moving the handle forward to make another cutting stroke.

The tool of this invention is primarily intended for use on conventional cans of the type having a bead 11, which is formed by the turning of the outer portion of the can lid 18 over the upper edge 19 of the can; the remaining portion of the lid 18 lying below the level of the upper edge 19. That portion of lid 18 which extends upwardly and over top edge 19 constitutes the rim 20 of the can.

The head 8 carries a point 12 which engages the inner side of rim 20 at its juncture with lid 18 while the catch 9 carries a point which engages and bites the underside edge of head 11 of the can. Point 13 is carried by the lower end of a depending arm 14, of said catch 9. These two points 12 and 13 act jointly to grip the rim and bead, respectively, upon downward thrust upon the handle, initial downward movement of the handle caus ing point 13, to bite into the underside of the bead 11.

The can opener is placed on the can as shown in FIG. 1, ready to make the first cut in the lid. At this time there is a slight space between point 13 and the underside of head 11, and the can opener rests on point 12. When downward pressure is applied to the handle, the point of the cutter blade 7 acts as the fulcrum of a lever, and as the downward stroke of the handle is continued the fulcrum moves along the edge of the blade, thus exerting an upward force upon the head during the entire cutting stroke. Due to the position of pivot point 10, which the head is moved upward by moving the handle down, point 13 rotates slightly on pivot 10 and is forced upwardly along the outside of the can and up under bead 11. These two motions of the head 8 and catch 9 create a scissors action, forcing points 12 and 13 toward each other, thus gripping rim and bead tightly. The blade acts as a fulcrum during the entire cut and thus points 12 and 13 grip tightly during the entire length of the cut. This gripping also prevents any movement of the head along the rim of the can.

The down stroke is terminated when the shank 7 hits the top of the can as illustrated in FIG. 3.

The handle is then lifted and moved forward for the next cutting stroke. When the handle is raised, point 12 rests on the lid against rim 20. There is no upward pressure of the head 8 and thus point 13 is loose from its grip and head and catch can be moved freely forward for the next cut. Weight 9b keeps point 13 against the outside of can during the forward movement. Under the great leverage provided by the large and lengthy handle the blade may be forced through and shear metal of considerable toughness. Further, the curved, concave blade has a cutting edge 15, beveled in a direction to cause the blade to hug the inner face of the can under the cutting stroke, thus causing the blade to cut close to the inner rim 20 of the can, and pressing the metal of the lid left outside of the out against the inner face of the can leaving no ragged edges, but upon the contrary leaving the inner face of the rim as a smooth surface, as at 17, FIG. 4.

The structure described provides a can opener that is exceedingly powerful, yet easy of operation. The base of the head, resting as it does, upon the lid of the can is designedly made straight or fiat so that it will not rock sidewise. The whole comprises a structure economical to manufacture, the shank, the head and the curved, concave blade being preferably made of a single piece of metal.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown but that it includes within its purview, whatever changes fairly fall within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A can opener for opening a can having a bead around its top surface and said bead extending above the lid of said can, comprising an elongated handle including a shank, a head carried at one end of the shank and directed inwardly to extend toward the center of the lid of the can to be opened, a catch connected to the outer face of the head, said head having at its lower outer corner a lid-engaging point engageable with the upper face of the can lid just inside of said bead, a depending arm extending from said catch and terminating in a biting point to bite into the underside of said bead, said lid-engaging point and said bead-biting point extending in directions opposed to each other, a blade carried by the shank, said blade having a beveled cutting edge and said edge being concavely curved along its length, said blade having means the'reonto hug and smooth the inner face of the can inwardly of the bead during the lid cutting operation, said'catch'and said head having means thereon that cooperate to move said lid-engaging point and said bead biting point apart when the shank and handle are moved upwardly, and move said points together to forcibly engage the bead and the lid when the handle is thrust downwardly, said catch and head means includ- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,765,222 6/1930 Falla et a1. 30 22 FOREIGN PATENTS 26,227 8/1913 Great Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

G. WEIDENFELD, Assistant'Examiner. 

1. A CAN OPENER FOR OPENING A CAN HAVING A BEAD AROUND ITS TOP SURFACE AND SAID BEAD EXTENDING ABOVE THE LID OF SAID CAN, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HANDLE INCLUDING A SHANK, A HEAD CARRIED AT ONE END OF THE SHANK AND DIRECTED INWARDLY TO EXTEND TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE LID OF THE CAN TO BE OPENED, A CATCH CONNECTED TO THE OUTER FACE OF THE HEAD, SAID HEAD HAVING AT ITS LOWER OUTER CORNER A LID-ENGAGING POINT ENGAGEABLE WITH THE UPPER FACE OF THE CAN LID JUST INSIDE OF SAID BEAD, A DEPENDING ARM EXTENDING FROM SAID CATCH AND TERMINATING IN A BITING POINT TO BITE INTO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID BEAD, SAID LID-ENGAGING POINT AND SAID BEAD-BITING POINT EXTENDING IN DIRECTIONS OPPOSED TO EACH OTHER, A BLADE CARRIED BY THE SHANK, SAID BLADE HAVING A BEVELED CUTTING EDGE AND SAID EDGE BEING CONCAVELY CURVED ALONG ITS LENGTH, SAID BLADE HAVING MEANS THEREON TO HUG AND SMOOTH THE INNER FACE OF THE CAN INWARDLY OF THE BEAD DURING THE LID CUTTING OPERATION, SAID CATCH AND SAID HEAD HAVING MEANS THEREON THAT COOPERATE TO MOVE SAID LID-ENGAGING POINT AND SAID BEAD BITING POINT APART WHEN THE SHANK AND HANDLE ARE MOVED UPWARDLY, AND MOVE SAID POINTS TOGETHER TO FORCIBLY ENGAGE THE BEAD AND THE LID WHEN THE HANDLE IS THRUST DOWNWARDLY, SAID CATCH AND HEAD MEANS INCLUDING A PORTION EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID CATCH AND HAVING A WEIGHT THEREON, AND SAID CATCH BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED UPON SAID HEAD. 